Mod the Machine

Corrections/Clarification to Webinar

I recently posted about the Fusion API Webinar and want to correct and clarify a few things I said during the presentation and in the questions after.

1. When showing the slides comparing the JavaScript and Python code I mentioned that JavaScript is pickier about types and sometimes requires type casting.  This is not true.  There was an issue in a very early version of the API where it did require type casting but that was a Fusion API issue and not a JavaScript issue and has long since been addressed.  I’ve updated the PowerPoint slides to remove the casting line.
2. It was asked if you could begin a debug session into a running JavaScript add-in and replied that I didn’t believe it was possible.  I’ve since learned about a capability that I didn’t know about that does allow you to debug into a running JavaScript add-in or script.  From the Scripts and Add-Ins dialog you can see which scripts and add-ins are currently running by looking for the running symbol next to the name as I’ve highlighted below.  When you select a running JavaScript program, the Debug button will be enabled, as shown below.  This will open a window and allow you to begin debugging the running script.
   
   
3. I also mentioned TkInter as a way to create custom dialogs when using Python but that there are currently problems when using it on a Mac.  This is true but I want to clarify that it’s not a Fusion 360 API issue in this case but is a general problem with TkInter (Tcl/Tk specifically) on Mac.  We’ve attempted to find a combination of libraries that works but so far have been unsuccessful.

-Brian

Fusion 360’s API Webinar

This morning, here in slightly rainy Oregon, I presented a webinar about the Fusion 360 API.  For those of you that missed it, the entire presentation is now available on YouTube and you can also download the PowerPoint slides that I used for the presentation. 

 

You can learn more about the Fusion 360 product and also install it to get a better understanding of how it works and what it can do. I welcome any comments about the API at the Fusion 360 API and Scripts forum.

There are also corrections and additional information available about this webinar.

-Brian

Bathroom Vanity

I previously made a post about a some VBA code I had written to help layout the boards from a woodworking project so I could create cut sheets.  I just looked up that post and couldn’t believe it was almost five years ago. 

In that post I had an image of a bathroom vanity that I had started to design and used as the example.  I did complete the design in Inventor and finally finished building it a few months ago.  Here are some images of the final project.  Having the CAD model helped a lot in laying out the curved legs and matching the curves on the door and drawer fronts.  I didn’t do anything in Inventor for the handles but sketched them out and hand carved them.  These pictures aren’t the greatest, but I’m happy with how it turned out.

Join Me for the Fusion 360 API Webinar

The webinar is coming up later this week and I hope you’ll join me for a brief introduction to the Fusion 360 API.  Here are some of the things I’ll be explaining and demonstrating:

• The languages supported and choosing a language
• Scripts and the new add-in functionality
• Creating a new script or add-in
• The Fusion 360 Object Model
• Debugging scripts and add-ins
• Fusion 360 API Documentation

The webinar is on March 25 at 9:00 AM Pacific time and there’s still time to register.  To attend , please register for Get started with Fusion 360 API at:
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7034449259570533633
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

-Brian

Latest Update to Sheet Metal Extents Add-In

Several years ago I wrote an add-in that creates custom iProperties and parameters that contain the length and width of the flat pattern.  (Actually it creates the parameters and sets the “Export Parameter” setting so Inventor will automatically created the iProperties.)  It also creates an iProperty with the name of the sheet metal style.  There had been a couple of problems reported and everything that I’m aware of has now been fixed.

I know there are several people making use of this add-in but since I originally wrote it Inventor has added additional new native capabilities that should eliminate the need for my add-in in many cases.  One of these capabilities, that’s not widely known, is the ability to define expressions for parameter values.  This is demonstrated in the picture below where the value of the iProperty named “SheetMetalWidth“ has the value “=<Sheet Metal Width>”.  The name can be anything but the value is important. The “=” sign signifies that the iProperty value is an expression and the “<>” sign wraps around a known name.  In this example I’m using “Sheet Metal Width” and “Sheet Metal Length” as the known names.

 

You can also create a single parameter that combines several values in the expression such as “=<Sheet Metal Length> x <Sheet Metal Width>”, which results in the value of the iProperty named “Full Size” as shown below.  You can also use the names of iProperties in expressions to create the other example shown below where I’ve used the iProperties “Title” and “Author” to create the iProperty named “New Title”.  The value of the Title property in that document is “Extent Sample” and Author is my name.  When you edit iProperties that use a function, by default the result is shown in the Value field but clicking the “fx” button to the right of the field will display the original expression and allow you to edit it.

 

Installing Sheet Metal Extents Add-In

If you still want to use my add-in you should first uninstall any existing Sheet Metal Extents add-ins you might have installed.  If you installed it using an installer then you can uninstall it using the standard uninstall tool.  If it was installed some other way you can manually delete it.  To know what to delete, open the Add-In Manager, choose the Sheet Metal Extents add-in and look at the folder in the location field at the bottom, as shown below.  You can delete the entire “Sheet Metal Extents” folder in the ApplicationPlugins folder.

 

To install the new add-in download and install the add-in from the link below:

Sheet Metal Extents 3.5

After you’ve installed the new add-in you can verify you have the latest version by looking in the Add-In Manager again and checking that the add-in has the name “Sheet Metal Extents 3.5” as shown below.

 

If you find any problems or have suggestions for improvement, please let me know at [email protected]

Latest Version of Fusion Introduces Add-Ins

The version of Fusion that went out this past weekend has a lot of new features but for the API the most important is the introduction of add-in support.  Previously there was only support for scripts.  There’s not a big difference between a script and an add-in but that small difference makes a huge difference in how it’s seen and used by the user.

A script is run by the user by executing the “Scripts and Add-Ins” command from the File menu, choosing the script they want to run, and clicking the “Run” button.

 

An add-in has the option to be loaded automatically when Fusion starts.  Taking advantage of this small difference, an add-in can use the API to create commands and add them to the Fusion user-interface.  The add-in’s commands appear to the user like any other Fusion command.  Unless explicitly unloaded by the user, the add-in remains running in the background throughout the Fusion session so it can respond whenever any of its commands are run and do whatever that command is supposed to do.

The dialog below shows the new dialog for creating a new add-in or script. 

 

For this release there are four new topics in the Fusion API help that discuss add-ins and some related technology, that although isn’t exclusive to add-ins is more important for a typical add-in workflow.  These new topics are shown in the picture below.

 

Add-ins also make it easier to give your program to someone else, either by giving them the add-in files or package it into an installer.  The files can simply be copied to the correct location on the users machine and Fusion will automatically find the add-in and load it the next time is starts.  An installer does the same thing but simplifies the copy process.  The next time Fusion is started, the new commands added by the add-in are immediately available to the user.

-Brian